In a four-month investigation of 10 of Apple’s Chinese suppliers, China Labor Watch has found what they call “deplorable” working conditions in many of the factories of Apple’s component manufacturers. These factories allegedly contain hazardous working conditions and excessive overtime.

According to the New York based company, these long work hours and low pay are commonly found throughout Apple’s supply chain, and not limited to a single supplier. Overall, 620 workers were surveyed, along with tours of various factories taken by a group of six people.

The continual push for better working conditions has prompted both Apple and Foxconn to take extra measures to increase on the job safety and working environment quality. According to the labor group, many of the Chinese employees worked in excess of 100 hours of overtime per month, even though the legal Chinese limit is 36.

Another interesting statistic found by China Labor Watch, although unsurprising, is that 70% of workers assembling these products do not own an Apple device, but many said they would like to have at least one.

It’s important to note that these working conditions are not unique to Apple only, though. Many other U.S. companies also have suppliers based in China who offer the same working conditions towards their employees. Apple often gets knocked for their working conditions, but the reality is that many other companies receive components from even the same plants as Apple.

Regardless, investigations like these, while sometimes over dramatized by the media, are slowly helping working conditions change for the better in China.

If they only talk about Apple and send letters only to Apple, they are nothing but attention whores and should be disregarded. Talk to/about everybody that is getting stuff built in China, if you want to talk about this, or shut up…I really abhor this kind of behavior.

prusikov

Guys, we all should realize one simple truth. It is not about Apple, it’s about China in general. Every single factory is mistreating its workers in China and you can’t even imagine to which extent. Apple partner factories are the best to work on for chinese people.

Johnnybboy

It happens not only in China, here in America we have also those conditions but you maybe don’t see that. Look around, in restaurants where they make people work for 11 or 12 hrs a day for just $4 dlls/hr mostly mexicans. But anyways I don’t know why everybody is so concerned about that when here in america the situation is really bad.

Johnnybboy

It happens not only in China, here in America we have also those conditions but you maybe don’t see that. Look around, in restaurants where they make people work for 11 or 12 hrs a day for just $4 dlls/hr mostly mexicans. But anyways I don’t know why everybody is so concerned about that when here in america the situation is really bad.

Mahler12x

Christ almighty, not this shit again… Until you see workers with guns to their heads this is all nothing but agenda driven propaganda by unionists, socialists, and economically ignorant reporters trying to get people to read their nonsense by flashing the world’s most popular company’s name in their headlines.

No one at Foxconn is working with a gun to their head. No one is being FORCED to work overtime. I have no problem with workers organizing and agitating for improved working conditions from their employer (NOT government), but to continue to vilify a company that has literally THOUSANDS of people banging down the door for the chance to work there and escape the crushing poverty of the rural provinces, by calling it a “sweatshop” is ludicrous.

China is a rapidly developing country with a rapidly growing middle class for the first time in it’s long, poverty laden history. As the economy grows, the competition for labor among businesses improves workers’ conditions in a natural way as employers look to attract and retain quality workers.

When the “humanitarians” from England succeeded in banning “child labor” in Indonesia in the early part of the 20th century, the child SEX trade exploded. A funny thing about work. It provides an opportunity to eat for families who might NOT otherwise. Telling a 13 year old from a destitute Indonesian family he has to give up a steady income so he can spend a useless day in a government school while his family has to split a kilo of rice a day if they’re lucky, is EVIL, not humanitarian.

ekokmle

Supplier Code of Conduct (SCoC) Audit:Your view on the impact on Company Spending andBuyer-Supplier Relationship University of Bolton http://www.bolton.ac.ukEmail: (sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address)

25th June 2012

Dear Sir/Sirs,Hope you are keeping well.I am pleased to seek for your help to fill out an online questionnaire which should take you about five minutes to complete. This questionnaire is part of a research project on buyers and suppliers view about the impact of “Supplier Code of Conduct Audit” on the company spending and customer-supplier relationship. The data set gathered from the questionnaire will be used for my research project for my bachelor degree in Logistic and Supply Chain Management at the University of Bolton.Your responses are high appreciated to enable me to obtain more understanding of this research topic. The information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence. You will notice that you are not asked to include your personal identification (name, address, etc) on the questionnaire.

I appreciate your time and effort to complete the online questionnaire. Please kindly help to complete the questionnaire by 15th July 2012. If you have any questions or would like to share further information, please contact me via email at (sorry, you need Javascript to see this e-mail address) .